1. إِنَّ في الصَدرِ مِن كُلَيبِ شُجوناً

    هاجِساتٍ نَكَأنَ مِنهُ الجِراحا

    Indeed, my breast holds sorrows for Kulayb,

    haunting sorrows that have reopened its wounds.

  2. أَنكَرَتني حَليلَتي إِذ رَأَتني

    كاسِفَ اللَونِ لا أُطيقُ المُزاحا

    My wife did not recognize me when she saw me

    pale of complexion, unable to bear jesting.

  3. وَلَقَد كُنتُ إِذ أُرَجِّلُ رَأسي

    ما أُبالي الإِفسادَ وَالإِصلاحا

    And indeed, once, when I combed my hair,

    I cared nothing for ruin or repair.

  4. بِئسَ مَن عاشَ في الحَياةِ شَقِيّاً

    كاسِفَ اللَونِ هائِماً مُلتاحا

    Wretched is whoever lives his life in misery,

    pale, wandering distraught and parched.

  5. يا خَليلَيَّ نادِنا لي كُلَيباً

    وَاِعلَما أَنَّهُ مُلاقٍ كِفاحا

    O my two friends, call Kulayb to us for me,

    and know that he meets others face to face.

  6. يا خَليلَيَّ نادِنا لي كُلَيباً

    ثُمَّ قولا لَهُ نَعِمتَ صَباحا

    O my two friends, call Kulayb to us for me,

    then say to him, 'May your morning be happy!'

  7. يا خَليلَيَّ نادِنا لي كُلَيباً

    قَبلَ أَن تُبصِرَ العُيونَ الصَباحا

    O my two friends, call Kulayb to us for me,

    before eyes behold the morning.

  8. لَم نَرَ الناسَ مِثلَنا يَومَ سِرنا

    نَسلُبُ المُلكَ غُدوَةً وَرَواحا

    We saw no people like ourselves the day we marched,

    seizing dominion, morning and evening.

  9. وَضَرَبنا بِمُرهَفاتٍ عِتاقٍ

    تَترُكُ الهُدمَ فَوقَهُنَّ صُياحا

    And we struck with keen-edged, noble blades

    that leave the ragged garments shrieking above them.

  10. تَرَكَ الدارَ ضَيفُنا وَتَوَلّى

    عَذَرَ اللَهَ ضَيفَنا يَومَ راحا

    Our guest left the home and turned away;

    may God pardon our guest on the day he departed.

  11. ذَهَبَ الدَهرُ بِالسَماحَةِ مِنّا

    يا أَذى الدَهرِ كَيفَ تَرضى الجِماحا

    Time has carried generosity away from us.

    O affliction of time, how can you accept unruliness?

  12. وَيحَ أُمّي وَوَيحَها لِقَتيلٍ

    مِن بَني تَغلِبٍ وَوَيحاً وَواحا

    Alas for my mother, and alas for her over a slain man

    of the sons of Taghlib—alas, and ah!

  13. يا قَتيلاً نَماهُ فَرعُ كَريمٌ

    فَقدُهُ قَد أَشابَ مِنّي المِساحا

    O slain man, sprung from a noble branch,

    his loss has turned my locks gray.

  14. كَيفَ أَسلوا عَنِ البُكاءِ وَقَومي

    قَد تَفانَوا فَكَيفَ أَرجو الفَلاحا

    How can I leave off weeping, when my people

    have annihilated one another? How can I hope for success?